Work

I offer creative Web design services, including custom graphic design. For example, almost all of the graphics on Weye dot Org are custom jobs that I have personally done.

Cascading Style Sheets (CCS) are becoming a specialty of mine. I really believe in the technology, both as a source of effective and powerful Web design, but also as a tool for making the World Wide Web more accessible for people with disabilities. CCS helps people with disabilities by separating the content (all the text) and graphics, thus making the site easier to read with special “reading” browsers.

I also provide photography services, print page layout using InDesign, in addition to creating PDFs for the Web distribution of documents. Having taken a course with the co-author of Real World Adobe Acrobat 6 (link to book info), Christopher Smith, I would consider myself an experienced power-user.

In regards to the print work I’ve done: I produce newsletters and other publications for groups. I will do all the design (or improve the design you have now), write some of the content, take pictures, and see the publication off to the printers. I will give you a newsletter that can either be printed by an offset printer or ripped from a PDF file.

Web Design

With experience, my Web design skills have expanded to include programming, in particular using scripting languages like Javascript and PHP to enhance the CSS of a site. I have advanced skills in CSS and I am passionate about using Web standards to create accessible Web sites for all. I am knowledgeable in government regulations regarding the creation of accessible Web sites, including Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (the Section 508 Web site), and the Massachusetts state government Web accessibility standards (Mass. accessibility standards–PDF file) (PDF).

I have worked on a number of Web sites that no longer use my designs (or have modified them from the original), including the Center for Popular Economics and the UMass Amherst Communication Department. Web sites that currently use my design and programming include Weye dot Org (you’re here!), and the UMass Amherst Office of Institutional Research.

Besides this site, the Web work I am most proud of is my latest at the Office of Institutional Research (OIR). Before looking at my work, it might be fun to step into the Wayback Machine (from the Internet Archive) and visit the site before my work began (this snap shot is from Oct. 2003) in 2004.

Working with the people at OIR and the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment (a related office that shares the same domain), we tried to address a number of critical issues, including improved site navigation, making both documents and information (if you don’t know what specific document you’re looking for) easier to find, a more uniform visual identity across the site, and a stronger brand presence. In addition to those goals, I brought the desire to create a truly accessible site built on Web standards using XHTML and CSS. That was accomplished. The OIR/OAPA site is unique in its commitment to Web accessibility at UMass Amherst, including the only accessibility statement at the University.

Print Design

Working in both Mac and Windows environments using tools like InDesign, Illustrator, and PhotoShop, I’ve designed a variety of documents: business cards, pamphlets, newsletters and conference programs.

I have a clean design style and corresponding philosophy; the content should be central in any publication, and the design should reflect that. The information architecture of print design needs to contribute to audience comprehension of the content, in addition to turning heads. Sometimes that may mean having a sense of humor — playing the style against the content.

This flyer, for a course called the “History of Sexuality,” have fun with the content. The purpose is to draw the attention of prospective students, most of whom would rather ignore all the fliers on a university bulletin board. I accomplish grabbing attention two ways: over size the font for a provocative title, and using an 11″ x 17″ format (most campus fliers are smaller).

Working with the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) at UMass Amherst, I edited and designed an informational pamphlet (800k PDF) about the intellectual property issue at UMass Amherst. The hardest part of this project was editing down the information for a wide audience of stakeholders; the people interested in this subject ranged from artists to zoologists — that’s from both the arts and sciences.

Conference programs are fun to design because you’re working with a group of people that are passionate about their subject and event. It’s a high flying experience, you might say, because changes are happening right until the publication goes to press. Another challenge is trying to translate the conference theme into a visual design. In the case of the Borderlands conference, I worked the margins of the print program (3.3MB PDF)Â much more than I would have normally to suggest that important communication is taking place on the borders of cultures, which mirrored the conference theme.